A Bed of Roses
by meamsusan
Summary: The man Kallen loves is gone. Lelouch is buried six feet under the ground. Does this mean a new life for her? A new school and a new romance?
1. If I Die Young

They said it was going to be a quiet funeral, but in the end it seems like they lied.

_But what did she expect? _

Here stands Kallen Stanfield: 19 years old, magenta hair (call it whatever color you wanted, she was used to the comments), blue eyes. Former terrorist then former Black Knight, current student. It was surprising how her life could be summed up in a manner of two sentences. To the rest of humanity, it seems- it had been one year since the death of Lelouch vi Brittania the hated tyrant who had ruthlessly ruled the entire world. But to her, it has been an eternity since the boy she loved sacrificed himself to save said humanity.

Kallen stood in the light sprinkle of rain, bouquet of white flowers cradled in her arms, at the funeral of Lelouch vi Brittania. She remembered asking about the funeral- which had been postponed because of the uproar that occurred nearly a year ago. They had to give some time for the people to calm down, they had told her. Many people still wanted to tear Lelouch apart if they saw his body.

And so, she waited almost _three hundred sixty-five days_ to see him again. He would not be buried on imperial grounds next to Euphemia with his name emblazoned on the finest of marble, but far away in a small town on the coast of Japan, six feet under the Earth with a small piece of granite that said not his name but simple initials: "L.L."

This had upset Kallen at first, but she had later realized that it was enough for Lelouch to just rest in peace. It was okay, because it would all die down she thought. Lelouch can finally sleep- he didn't need to hurt anymore.

Or so she thought.

At his funeral, a crowd had gathered together under the fine mist of that afternoon. No, not a crowd, more of a mob. They were clustered tightly, but Kallen could feel the tense aura emanating from them. She heard catches and phrases of their conversation as she passed by silently:

_" They're going to bury him here?"_

_" Why didn't anybody tell us about this?"_

_" Who do they think they are? This town has history too, you can't just dump who ever you'd like in our town."_

Kallen's fingernails dug into the bouquet, her hands turning white from the test on her patience- _  
><em>

_" If he is buried here, nobody in the soil next to him will rest in peace-" _

she needed to restrain herself so that she wouldn't doing anyth-

" They're here!"

Startled out of her thoughts, Kallen looked up swiftly to see a large white van pulling into the lot. Men clothed in black suits climbed out of the car, their earpieces securely fastened, and a gun- Kallen noticed- strapped to their belts. Oh, and they all sported the new state of the art geass proof sunglasses. Kallen smiled dryly. It was as if they expected Lelouch to suddenly burst from his plain oak coffin and geass them all into submission again.

As they slowly pulled the coffin out of the van, Kallen seemed to feel the drops of rain become heavier.

No matter how she might have wished for it to be true, Lelouch did not spring from his coffin as the men brought it into her view. The volume of the mob's comments escalated as they saw the coffin. They hurried, in a mass of hatred and anger to block the path to the grave. Those that were even ordinarily benign- the housewives, the grandparents, the children- did not want Lelouch to rest in peace. Not in their town, not anywhere. Her skin prickled at the amount of hate that they seemed to feel towards a man that they really did not know that much about.

" Out of the way!" cried the coffin bearers. " Out of the way!"

" Out of our town!" came the reply from the mob.

" We do not want such an evil man to rest in our soil. How dare you bring evil to our town!"

" But we are here to bring peace, not evil." The voice was new,muffled, and sounded as if it came behind a wall. It was commanding, it was sad- a voice that drew a gasp from both Kallen and the crowd. From the van stepped a slim figure cloaked in purple, a familiar mask covering his face.

" Zero!"

_Suzaku._

An old woman went rushing up to him, slipping beyond the guards undetected. They tried to snatch at her, but she escaped past their hands, throwing herself at Zero. There were tears beginning to stream down her face.

" Why?" she said to who she thought was Zero. " Why do you bury that man next to my son, who he killed?" Her hands gripped the purple cloth in desperation, the blank mask of Zero looking down at her.

" I am here to bring peace." replied Suzaku calmly, he looked up from her and surveyed the crowd. " I am here to bury the past, so that we can move into the future."

In the midst of the mob, Suzaku recognized the bright hair of someone he had not seen for a year. Kallen. When they locked eyes, she looked away. Kallen stood tall and proud, but he even he recognized that coming here had put a shroud of sadness on her shoulders. He almost smiled behind the shield of his mask. Just what he'd expect from his rival pilot. Both of their hearts were in pieces, yet they came to the funeral as if they wanted to be broken some more.

The rain began to come down even harder now.

"LIES!" said a man, who stood leaned against a tree. He looked up angrily at Suzaku. " You bring nothing but sadness. You do not care that you are burying a murderer among the graves of his victims." His brown eyes flashed scorn and triumph as the crowd roared in approval at his words.

" Yes! Get him out! Out!" they said. " Nobody wants him here!" They surged towards the men carrying the coffin at once- the adults, the children, the old- in a senseless fury. In a panic, the men carrying the coffin dropped in onto the ground, the top slipping off to reveal the pale face of its occupant. Kallen rushed forwards as well, the white flowers falling into the muddy soil as she pushed through the crowd, pried the people apart, trying to stop them, trying to make them-

" LEAVE LELOUCH ALONE!" the cry slipped out of her mouth before she could control herself. The words almost rebounded around them, and the crowd stopped in shock. Kallen rushed to the coffin, her heart rising into her throat when she caught sight Lelouch, seemingly sleeping, oblivious of the rain drops pattering onto his face and the madness that rushed about him. She collapsed next to his coffin.

" Lelouch.. you fool.." she breathed. Her hand trembling, Kallen cautiously reached to touch him, to just brush against his skin again trace the outlines of the lips that once met hers..

"Kallen, I can't let you do this."

Suzaku grabbed her hand before it could touch Lelouch. The crowd tensed as Kallen growled in frustration. So close.. so close.. " Just once, Suzaku Kurugi. Just once." She looked up to where she thought his eyes were. " I need to make sure that he's really dead. That this isn't some type of magic that Lelouch pulled from his back pocket again!"

Suzaku's grip on her hand tightened, and for a second Kallen believed that Suzaku would be kind. The downpour of raindrops stopped in one fine moment, where Kallen hoped that Suzaku, with his hardened heart would allow her some salvation.

" No." he said simply. The rain started coming down again as he pushed her away roughly. " Lelouch vi Brittania is dead and gone. I can reassure you all you want."

Kallen landed on the mud, her eyes wide as Suzaku turned away from her. He signaled to the men. " Clean this up. We're not burying him here."

At the sound of this, the crowd cheered. But their jeers and calls fell deaf on Kallen's ears. White static filled her head, and the drops of rain seemed to mist over her vision. She could only see the silhouette of Zero, of _Suzaku_, striding away from her.

" You bastard!" Kallen snarled, lunging at Suzaku.

Before she could reach him, a man grabbed her. Kallen struggled in his grasp, gnawing, kicking to get free. Suzaku turned to face her, his mask as frustratingly cold as the calloused heart that she felt lay beneath.

His words were icy, but Kallen did not have the time to understand them before the dim gray daylight of the day faded away.

" Shoot her." he said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I haven't written on fanfiction for quite some time, but I hope that this was bearable enough ^_^ I've been dying to write a Code Geass fic, and this, I guess is my shot at it. Whether you enjoyed it or not, please review! Any constructive criticism on writing style is appreciated. :)


	2. Bury Me In Satin

**AN: **Thanks to LittleMissSophie and thepinkmartini for the feedback! :) its always the reviews on the first chapter that help give me the courage to write more. So here you go, Chapter Two. Enjoy, review, and please leave me constructive criticism if you feel that I could improve my writing.

* * *

><p>Static.<p>

_" Yesterday, in the small port district east of..."_

Familiar white static. Annoying. And who was that next to her? They felt too close.. too warm.

_"... secret attempts to bury Lelouch vi Brittania were intercepted by civilians..."_

Rain...and hurt. A white face..one that she ached so badly to touch..

"_ A member of the mob recorded the conflict and sent it in to our station this morning: bzz-bzz- 'out of our town!...why do you bury him next to my son?... you bring evil!...  
><em>

_.._ ' YOU BASTARD!'"

Yes, yes. She remembered saying that. To who? To who... to who...

"SUZAKU!"

Kallen Kozuki's eyes whipped open as she snapped up in bed. As she came up, the warmth that she had felt besides her went down.

" Jesus!" came the cry, as the owner was pushed onto the floor. Kallen looked down from the bed quizzically, to see a familiar blond looking back at her, rubbing the back of his head. Over the year that she hadn't seen him, he seemed to have gotten a bit taller, but the look in his blue eyes was unmistakable.

_The Knight of Three._

" Sir Gino Weinberg?"

He blinked- rather slowly, Kallen noted, as if he couldn't quite believe that she would remember his name. Then, his eyes seemed to fill with light as his formerly dumbfounded expression cracked into a pleased grin.

" Yes, Gino Weinberg reporting for duty, miss Kallen Kozuki."

It really seems that he hadn't changed at all. Kallen had always felt that she was able to relax in his presence, perhaps it was because he treated her kindly even when she was a war prisoner, or was it because of his naturally cheery disposition?..Anyways, his presence always soothed her, it's just that sometimes when Gino began talking he just couldn't sto-

" Although I don't understand why you have to call me by my former title. The _sir_, well that's just long gone by now right? Part of the past! I basically have no authority as a member of the round anymore, so you don't need to address me with any formal title or anything, although that's kind of nostalgic I have to admit-"

Yes, why- Gino wasn't any different from before. Knight of the round or not.

Gino continued."-Also, why do you call me by my full name? _Weinberg._ My family name is just stuffy as hell. I don't really like to hear it. My first name if pretty cool though, in my opinion. Besides, Kallen, don't we know each other well enough to address each other casually? We've known each other for almost two years? Enemies on the field, I guess- but now that it's behind us, why don't we be ..."

Gino slowly came to a pause as Kallen leaned down, putting a hand on his mouth. "..be..friends?.."

She sighed in relief as he stopped, looking up at her.

" Gino." Kallen said firmly. " That's great and all, but would you mind-"she gestured around the room.

" Telling me where the hell I am?"

She sat back up in the bed."Well?"

Gino rubbed his cheek thoughtfully, as if he still felt her hand there.

" Ah. Yeah. Where you are." he began slowly.

**xxx**

" Of course Suzaku, wouldn't really bring you know, _real_ guns to the funeral. At least, he wouldn't let his men be armed with them. Maybe he had one stowed under his cape just for himself, because he's selfish like that. If there was killing to be done he always supposes that he'd do it himself." said Gino. " Anyways, he brought you here afterward. I was so surprised to see him in the rain holding you. He told me to keep me with you for a little while, because sooner or later the masses were going to find out about your identity after yesterday's incident."

She paused, taking it in. Suzaku..saved her? In a stupid way, but hey. She was alive and safe, for the moment at least. Lord. Was he determined to find ways to make her hate him but not be able to hate him at the same time? He just took her in circles with the way he acted. And Gino- she looked up at Gino who was rumbling through the cabinets for a pan. _Did he not know the way around his own house?_ He took a strange girl in without a word, one that used to be his enemy on the battlefield, no less. Wait a second.. the battle field.

"Gino!" it slipped sharply out of her mouth, her thoughts muddling in confusion.

He placed the pan gently down on the stove top. "Yes?"

"How..how..do you know about Suzaku and Zero?" she started cautiously.

Gino turned to face her. "You can say that I always had a feeling that Suzaku wasn't dead. It didn't seem right. The man I knew.. Suzaku. He wouldn't die so easily; that's what I thought. But accidents do happen, I guess. And the strong do fall sometimes. So I accepted it for a bit." He continued quietly. " So you can say I wasn't very surprised to see him on my step yesterday. I've grown tired of questioning things after the Black Rebellion, and I didn't think that much of it when he told me his story."

Gino turned back around, cracking the eggs on top of the heated pan. " Should I feel special for knowing what the rest of the world doesn't? I don't know. Having the truth sometimes tests you." he added.

_It really does._

Kallen looked back down. She was taking it better than she thought she would. In the end, she thought sadly, what did one person sharing their burden matter? An extra soul who knew the truth wouldn't bring Lelouch back.

She shook her head, and breathed in the scent of the newly brewed coffee to calm her frantic nerves.

" Suzaku's crazy."

Gino replied from the stove." No. He's just an old soul, Kallen. You can't blame him for becoming like this. I personally have learned to never be surprised at what he does anymore-oops!" He turned off the stove fire before it burned the eggs. Sliding them onto a clean plate, he brought them over to her, who looked at them suspiciously before picking up a fork to take a bite.

He smiled at her expression. " Are they good?"

Kallen gulped down a mouthful of coffee before meeting his eyes. " Yes, actually. I didn't think you'd be the type to know how to even fry eggs..You know aristocracy and all.."

" Oh, I used to help out in the kitchen" he said slyly.* (see notes! I just found out this tidbit about Gino's past today! that is, if you don't already know)

Kallen laughed. " Really? I know a guy.. he never used to cook, in fact I think that Lelouch sucked at everything besides academics!"

The name came out, once again before she could stop it. At the sound of her voice echoing his name, both Kallen and Gino fell silent. She looked down hastily, trying to eat her eggs with as much enthusiasm as possible. They tasted like rubber.

Trying to break the silence, Gino cleared his throat.

" So, about school Kallen." he winced, because his attempt came out sounding a bit too parent-like for his taste, but he continued anyways. " I've already sent for your stuff."

Kallen looked at him, her blue eyes confused mirrors of his.

"..School?" she said.

" Yes, school."he repeated.

" I'm going?-"

" For another year, I think."

" Wait, what?"

" No, I mean, yes! You're going to school for another year."

Kallen sighed.

" Gino. I know that. What do you mean 'your stuff'."

" Yeah, you're going to be going to school with me for your last year."

" With you?.."

" Mhm. School with me, and I guess you can say you're under imperial orders to board here as well." he chuckled awkwardly.

" Board? You mean live?" Kallen repeated.

" I'm going to live with you for a year?"

* * *

><p><strong>*NOTES<strong>: It was explained in a CG story about the knights of the round I believe. Gino once fell in love with the 11 maid in his household. And his parents threw her out before scolding him about being the proper brittanian noble son he was meant to be. Oh! the drama.

thanks for reading!


	3. Lay Me Down

_" What?" _said Kallen.

" You heard right, you're going to be living in my custody for the rest of the year. For the rest of the school, at least." There was a hint of righteousness in Gino's voice when he said that, like he was smitten at her surprise. It made her want to smack him.

Kallen closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. _Why was her life spinning out of control again? _" Listen, Gino. I'm 19, by Brittanian law I can do whatever I want now, and living here and going to school full time is not an option." She opened them again, peering her blue eyes into Gino's, attempting to get the message across. " Don't you understand that I need to work to support my mother? She can't work in that condition, I don't want her to go into domestic service again-"

Gino cut across her- " Kallen, try to listen to me-"

She ignored him, the frustration she had bottled inside her from the past year spewing out in a violent, loud mess.

" NO. Gino, you listen to me!" Kallen lifted herself from the table, feeling suffocated by the atmosphere in his kitchen, feeling disgusted at herself for letting herself pretend everything was all right that morning. " I have things to do, don't you understand? The Black Knights wasn't the end! Lelouch only fixed some of it. Things still aren't right here,_ here_.. or _anywhere_. People still have so much hate in them, and I realized that everyone still has problems and I have to be responsible for my mother now, so I can't kick back and relax! I can't just run away and I can't just try to ignore that Lelouch isn't an anonymous phone-call away anymore!"

Gino got up too, cautiously watching Kallen with concern in his eyes. She shook with the emotion of her words, and watching her, he felt a type of sadness inside that he didn't realize could overwhelm him. He wanted to hold her.

" I have to watch my mother. All the time, I have to check up on her, I have to make sure she isn't hiding a syringe anywhere in our home so she doesn't turn back to her old self. It's only been a year, and it hasn't really been enough time for her to heal." Kallen looked up at him, pleading. " It hasn't been enough time for anyone to heal. I need you to understand that it'll be hell all over again if she relapses and goes to prison again. Please, Gino. Tell me I don't have to stay here."

He wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear. But he knew better. " No. Kallen, you have to stay."

" You're going to make me do something against my will?"she asked.

" If that's what you want to call it, yes."

Kallen looked at him with wary eyes. " You're no better than Suzaku then."

He stood his ground. " I take no shame in that." It hurt, in a strange way to have her want to hurt him with her words, though.

" If that's what you want to be like then.." Kallen looked at him slowly, her left foot stepping behind her right. " I don't need your permission!" She lunged towards him, hands curled into fists. She fell on to him, and the two of them tumbled across the checkered kitchen floor, chairs and tables toppling out of their way. She was a good fighter, and the Black Rebellion had only honed her reflexes. Admittedly, Gino was just as good, but she noticed that he wouldn't fight back at her directly, only deflecting her hits but never throwing his own. Kallen almost rolled her eyes. What a gentleman- he decides to be like this now, after previously trying to send her to what he thought would be a death sentence, plummeting into the ocean from the thousands of feet above in the sky. Oh, whatever.

" Kallen!-" he struggled to speak, the two of them struggling in a rolling mess across the floor. _Damn, he almost forgot how good she was at fighting. _" Listen to me!"

" You don't deserve my attention!" she was on top of him now, and it felt like she almost had the upper-hand. Spotting an opening, Kallen swung her fist as swiftly as she was able-right into his palm. Her eyes grew big as his hand wrapped around hers tightly. One of his hands held her fist, and the other pinned her wrist to the ground. She turned her gaze from his hands to his eyes, solemn blue set in a rigid expression.

" Why don't you hear me out?" _Was he always this strong?_ She couldn't squeeze out of his grasp. The more she struggled, the more impatient Gino became. Finally, he flipped her underneath him, pinning her entirely to the ground. The blood rushed to Kallen's cheeks at the turn of events, with Gino hovering above her, his face close to hers.

He seemed to notice too. " Sorry Kallen." he said shortly. " But I need you to listen to me. I want you to know that the reason Suzaku-" he stopped, reconsidering his words. " Why_ I _want you to stay here is to keep you safe."

" I can keep myself safer than either of you two bastards can. I can take care of myself," she snarled in reply.

" No, you can't. It's too much of a burden."continued Gino. " You said you're 19, but it's even too much for someone alone to bear, no matter what age, no matter how well you fight. You can't take care of yourself! Especially not with the people that are going to be after you now after this funeral-thing. And I know how much it hurts. Stay here, and I'll help you and help your mother too. I have the money to."

" I don't want your charity."

" Kallen, it's not charity-"

She thrust her face closer to his, " I don't want to hear it! I've always been doing everything myself, it's nothing new, I don't need you or Suzaku to come from the past and tell me what to do with my future-"

"KALLEN!" The force in his voice stopped her suddenly. His arms shook with an emotion she couldn't seem to name. It was incomprehensible.

" Don't you understand?" Gino raised his voice. " I'm trying to help. Someone, for once, wants to help you. Someone cares!"

He continued, softer this time. His voice came from a place, that seemed deep inside, and it was full of an emotion they both couldn't put a finger on.

" I care."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Hello guys! Long time no see, I've been really preoccupied lately, sorry D: anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review with any critique or comments you might have :D

thanks for reading!


End file.
